| Senate of the United Cygnian States | |
|---|---|
| 57th Congress of the Union | |
 Seal of the Senate | |
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house of the Cygnian Congress |
| Leadership | |
| President | Sue Lines, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Leader of the Government | Penny Wong, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Leader of the Opposition | Eric Abetz, National since 3 January 2017 |
| Government Whip | Anne Urquhart, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Opposition Whip | David Bushby, National since 3 January 2017 |
| History | |
| Established | 23 January 1949 |
| Preceded by | House of Lords |
| Structure | |
| Members | 88 |
 | |
| Political groups | HIM Government (36) Labour (36) HIM Most Loyal Opposition (32) National (32) Crossbenchers (19) Greens (12) Centre (2) One Nation (2) Justice (1) Katter's (1) Liberal Democrat (1) Conservatives (1) Palmer United (1) Independent (1) |
| Election | |
| Voting system | Single transferable vote |
| Last election | 5 November 2016 |
| Next election | 7 November 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Senate Chamber Federation Hall, Perth | |
The Senate of the United Cygnian States is a legislative chamber in the bicameral legislature of Cygnia, and together with the House of Representatives makes up the Congress of the Union.
The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the Cygnian Constitution. Each state, regardless of population, is represented by four senators who serve eight-year terms each; the Territory of Swan is entitled to two. Elections are held every four years, when one-half of the Senate is dissolved. The Senate chamber is located in the west wing of Federation Hall in Perth. The House of Representatives convenes in the east wing of the same building.
The Senate has several advice and consent powers not granted to the House, including consenting to treaties as a precondition to their ratification and consenting to or confirming appointments of ministerial secretaries, federal judges, other federal executive officials, military officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors and other federal uniformed officers, as well as the trial of federal officials impeached by the House. The Senate furthermore, through the Permanent Senate Committee on the Federal Territory, exercises supreme jurisdiction over legislation in the Territory of Swan, and thus is responsible for providing the final approval for bills to become TS laws.
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